Many functions of modern devices in automotive, consumer and industrial applications, such as converting electrical energy and driving an electric motor or an electric machine, rely on power semiconductor devices.
For example, Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs), Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MOSFETs) and diodes, to name a few, have been used for various applications including, but not limited to switches in power supplies and power converters.
A power semiconductor device usually comprises a power semiconductor die configured to conduct a load current along a load current path between two load terminals of the die. Further, the load current path may be controlled by means of an insulated electrode, sometimes referred to as gate electrode. For example, upon receiving a corresponding control signal from, e.g., a driver, the control electrode may set the power semiconductor device in one of a conducting state and a blocking state.
After the power semiconductor die has been manufactured, it has to be included in a package, e.g., in a manner that allows the die to be installed within an application, e.g., in a power converter, e.g., such that the die may be coupled to a support, e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB).
To this end, a technology commonly referred to as surface-mount technology (SMT) is known, wherein this notion may generally refer to producing electronic circuits in which the components are mounted or placed directly onto the surface of PCBs. For example, this technology has replaced, at least in some application areas, the co-called through-hole technology construction method of fitting components with wire leads into holes in the circuit board.
Generally, an SMT component can be smaller than its through-hole counterpart. It may have short pins or leads of various styles, flat contacts (also known as “terminal pads”), a matrix of solder balls (e.g., a so-called Ball Grid Array (BGA)), or terminations on the body of the component.